Online Reporter
Herald Reporter
ENGINEERING and industrial services group, Billnick Holdings used its maiden participation at the Minecon 2026 exhibition to showcase its diverse mining support capabilities while opening new conversations with potential clients, suppliers and business partners.
The three-day mining and construction exhibition, which ran from Thursday to Saturday at the Agricultural Research Trust (A.R.T.) Farm in Pomona, Harare, brought together companies supplying equipment, professional services and other solutions to the mining and construction sectors.
The organisers describe Minecon as a platform covering the industry from suppliers and equipment to professional services.
Representing Billnick Holdings at the exhibition, Systems Administrator Mr Christopher Mudimu said the company viewed Minecon as an important platform for direct engagement across the mining value chain.
Mr Mudimu said the group’s presence was not limited to promoting one business unit, but provided an opportunity to present the range of services and products available under the Billnick Holdings umbrella.
“Minecon gave us a chance and a space where we could interact with both buyers and sellers. Suppliers and potential clients were moving around, having conversations and discussing areas where we can do business together,” he said.
Billnick Engineering, which is part of Billnick Holdings, specialises in tailings storage facility (TSF) management and hydro re-mining. The company’s published profile says it provides turnkey environmental engineering solutions to Zimbabwe’s mining industry, including mine residue disposal, hydro re-mining consultancy and mining infrastructure development.
Mr Mudimu said the group also used the exhibition to present its manufacturing, logistics and security capabilities, creating opportunities for companies to engage the group beyond its core engineering operations.
“We are representing Billnick Holdings, with Billnick Engineering specialising in TSF management and hydro mining. We also have Billnick Manufacturing, where we showcased PPE, work suits and copper sheets, among other products,” he said.
He said the group was also represented by its SimCroc division, which focuses on equipment, while Billnick Logistics and Billnick Security formed part of the wider offering.
According to Mr Mudimu, the exhibition also generated discussions around potential logistics partnerships, with some exhibitors approaching the company with ideas on how their equipment could support Billnick’s operations.
“For Billnick Logistics, we received inquiries from companies that wanted to see where they could fit into our operations. Some were suggesting the use of their low-bed equipment to support our logistics department. These are conversations that can potentially create business for everyone involved,” he said.
Billnick’s presence at Minecon comes as the company continues to position itself around specialised mining engineering and related services. Its published corporate information says the company was established in 2018 and is a wholly Zimbabwean entity, with its services including mine residue disposal, hydro re-mining and mine infrastructure development.
Mr Mudimu said one of the notable aspects of Minecon was the interaction between exhibitors and their existing suppliers.
“Some of the companies that we work with, particularly our suppliers, came to our stand and were happy to see us exhibiting. Through discussions around business, we discovered that there is more potential to do business with some of those suppliers,” he said.
Different exhibition experience
Mudimu said although this was Billnick’s first Minecon, the exhibition provided a different experience from other mining industry events, particularly in terms of how exhibitors and visitors interacted.
He compared the experience with Mine Entra, saying Minecon provided a more focused environment for conversations with clients and suppliers.
“Minecon is our first time attending, and it is different from Mine Entra, although not in a bad way. There is a specific set-up here which allows for deeper interaction with clients as well as suppliers,” he said.
He said the nature of the exhibitor mix also influenced the type of conversations taking place at the event.
“Most of the exhibitors here are suppliers, so you find that only a few came specifically requesting our services. With Mine Entra, most of the people come and ask for business from us. Here, there was more interaction with suppliers and discussions on how we can work together,” Mudimu said.
The Minecon exhibition featured a range of mining and construction equipment and services, with companies such as JCB, Machinery Exchange, Agricon Equipment and CAFCA among those publicly showcasing their products and solutions during the event.
For Billnick Holdings, Mudimu said the value of the exhibition extended beyond immediate sales, with the company using the platform to identify relationships that could support its operations and broaden its business network.
“For us, it was about creating relationships and understanding what is available within the industry. We were able to speak to suppliers, potential clients and other businesses and identify areas where there could be opportunities for everyone,” he said.
He said the company would assess the leads and relationships established during the three-day exhibition as it continues engaging stakeholders in Zimbabwe’s mining sector.
“It was a good experience for us as Billnick to exhibit at Minecon for the first time. The conversations we had have opened our eyes to more possibilities, particularly in terms of partnerships and how different businesses can complement each other,” Mudimu said.
The exhibition ran from September 17 to 19, 2026, at A.R.T. Farm in Pomona, with public access from 9am to 4pm during the show days.
Billnick’s Minecon participation reflects a broader shift from companies simply displaying products at exhibitions towards using industry platforms to build supply-chain relationships, identify complementary services and develop business-to-business opportunities across Zimbabwe’s mining value chain.
